SM Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics

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Does ethnicity affect ovarian reserve? A retrospective study of Anti-Mullerian hormone levels in Leicester UK

Objective:
This study wished to ascertain whether women undergoing fertility treatment had varying AMH levels based on their ethnic group. Our second objective was to assess the relationship between ethnicity, age and whether further fertility treatment was undertaken.

Methods:
Single centre retrospective observational study. Data were collected from women who presented to Leicester Fertility Clinic with primary subfertility between 2017 and 2019. Age, ethnicity, fertility outcomes and AMH results (pmol/L) were obtained from the electronic records. Data were also collected on women’s polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) status, follicle stimulation hormone levels (FSH) and antral follicle count (AFC). Univariate analysis compared AMH with age and ethnicity, respectively and further logistic regression modelling was performed. Further statistical testing was used to determine with there were differences in fertility treatment between different ethnic and age groups.

Results:
A total of 1249 women included in the study. Chi2 testing demonstrated a statistically significant difference in AMH levels between ethnic groups (p= 0.052). Further logistic regression modelling found that being an Asian ethnicity was not a significant predictor of reduced AMH level (p=0.90) independent of PCOS status, FSH and age. There was also a statistically significant difference between ethnic groups in women who had fertility treatment in the age 40-42 years (p=0.037).

Conclusion:
This study shows that ethnicity does not predict lower AMH levels directly. However, larger sample size studies are required to assess the rate of change in AMH in women based on age and whether certain ethnic groups seek fertility treatment at a later age.

Kanishka Gogna¹, Ayisha A. Ashmore¹, Alex S. Harrison³, and Neelam Potdar¹,²*